Chapter Nine

"Please give me one last chance, just one." Diana begged as security approached but Matthew faced her with his back and did not budge. "Hurry up." He urged the security men tired of listening to Diana's cries, Erica suddenly ran to him wrapping her arms around his waist. 

"I'm sorry for everything please, let's get back together." She was sure that there was no way he'd say no to her, Matthew was foolishly in love with her, in the past he'd served her like a slave worshipping the ground she walked on. Surely, he couldn't be any different now.

Contrary to what she had imagined, he parted her arms forcefully and shoved her aside, then faced her with a look of pure disgust, "you must be delusional if you think I would agree to return to a heartless woman like you, after all my sacrifice you still had the nerve to ride another man on our matrimonial bed and you want us to get back together? I think you are high Erica."

The way he spoke evoked chills, Erica never thought that Matthew could speak to her in this manner. Right now he appeared like a stranger, there was a dark air surrounding him. This was not the dummy she married three years back, the one who took every slap she dished without complaining. 

A security man crawled from behind and seized both her arms, yanking her off the stage. "Let go." Erica fought unsuccessfully. Diana and Zane could also be seen struggling to no avail, in no time they were kicked out of the building and thrown aside.

"It's over for us." Diana cried sitting on the dirt filled ground. "No one will do business with us now, how do we survive?"

"It's okay." Zane tried to console but was rudely shut up.

"You good for nothing, is that not your mate in there? If you were capable like him we wouldn't be in this mess now, why did you even let him catch you with Erica? You have ruined every chance of them getting back together, it's all your fault." She blamed it was his turn to be mis-treated now, Zane fell back unable to utter a word.

An idea suddenly hit Diana and she pulled herself off the ground facing Erica who appeared lost in thoughts. "How about you seduce him?" She suggested.

"The fool has always been in love with you, all you have to do is tickle his beards and show some skin and he will be yours." 

But Erica had already thought of that, "I don't think it will work mom, when he looked at me earlier his eyes were stone cold." Her shoulders were fallen as she relieved the memory. 

"Just that and you are already disappointed? Do you know what Matthew endured when he lived with us? And yet he never gave up on you. Look, if you want to save yourself, you will swallow your pride and do whatever it takes, remember we are all in this mess together." She reminded me. 

Erica knew there was truth in her mother's words. Matthew took a lot of bullshit during his stay with them, still his loyalty did not waver, not once until he caught her cheating. What if she could prove her loyalty to him a second time? Perhaps there would be a chance of them getting back together. 

"You are right mom, hope is not lost yet. I will do whatever it takes to have him wrapped under my fingers once again." She swore with glittering eyes.

"Are you guys aware that I am still here?" Zane questioned, shocked by the conversation that went down in front of him.

Diana was quick to look at him and hiss, "and so what? Who are you? Are you Jose Pelen's son?"

"I'm in this mess right now because of you-"

"And you will continue to stay in it if you don't come together and crack heads with us on how to make Matthew fall in love with Erica once more. Or, do you want to go broke?" 

His anger disappeared into the wind and he ran to her side like a loyal dog willing to do whatever it takes to win back his honour. "What can I do to help?" He asked eagerly. 

"What do you think of, Erica?" Diana redirected the question to her daughter. 

Erica paused as if searching her brain for answers when an idea struck her. "Have you passed the divorce agreement to the lawyer?"

"No, I still have it with me." Tearing her purse open Diana brought out the folded paper and gave it to her daughter. 

Erica smiled evilly taking the paper from her mother's hold, "that means we are still married legally." Without a warning she ripped the paper to shreds spraying the pieces on the ground. Diana immediately understood what this meant, "You are still bound together as husband and wife, that means I am a mother in law to the son of the richest man in the city." She rejoiced dancing around like a mad woman, to her that was all that mattered.

"He will never be able to get rid of us because I will not be agreeing to a divorce, eventually he will have no choice but to take me back." Erica said determined, it was her turn to suffer humiliation and hold on to a broken marriage now. One thing about karma is that it always makes sure to go round.